Soulful
by Daydreamblvr6
Summary: Ladies and gentlemen, Damon Salvatore does, in fact, have a soul.


**Hiya!**

**This takes place after the season finale, with hints of other earlier episodes (see if you can pinpoint the references, but don't get too discouraged, I've explained one at the end. ;) ). Also, I hope it makes sense.**

**That aside, happy (hopefully) reading. :)**

**And remember to review! :D (Will love you _forever._)**

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Ladies and gentlemen, Damon Salvatore does, in fact, have a soul.

While this had been in question (not without reason), the undeniable truth is that the little fleck of humanity humans revere so much still takes up residence underneath self-serving, psychopathic ways.

He just likes to flick the switch.

To him it's like _duh_, who wouldn't? No more guilt, remorse, pain, that new angst crap everybody raves about. No more actual hate for a brother whose life he occasionally wrecks, just an intense dislike and dispassionate irritation to be turned into passionate displays of rebellion aimed at a long dead father taken out on the undead thing with said father's eyes. Oh, and there was the whole Katherine debacle, too. But that's another matter entirely; it has nothing to do with switches because no matter how many humans he saps, he can't switch _that _off.

The rest of it though? A _ftt_ as skin breaks makes a _schnick _as the switch flips. Easy, peasy.

Of course, he didn't realize that a rapid _boom-boom-thump _would _schnick_ the switch the opposite direction. How was he to know that a little resigned defiance and a dash of foolish bravery was gonna turn him on? (In more ways than one.)

He should have taken her. He'd feel better now if he had.

Instead, he is being noble. Sorta. Almost. Okay not, but he definitely felt like a martyr. Besides, he hadn't meant to (and he had asked for permission! Hesitation _was _a request for permission, and the little minx hadn't moved away), his damn switch had been turned on and now he felt things and it was all very abrupt and he was having a little trouble (maybe a lot) dealing. So he had leaned in (and hesitated! Don't forget hesitated!), and kissed. (There was something funny about that, too…but he has quite enough to handle thank you so ever freaking much.)

He'd known he was doomed when he'd sat down outside the basement dungeon. Keeping someone company who was willing The Object of Spite to be better was so _not _his style.

He was screwed, because now the four-letter L-word was involved and that had certainly not ended well the first time. How in the name of all that was evil and badass had he allowed himself to fall for the same face twice? Stu-_pid._

He knew that vampires who lived with the switch consistently off eventually became switchless, stuck permanently as what the off position made them. By all rights, his 145 years of switched-off, carefree fun should have done him in, frozen him as a devilishly handsome bastard with no regard for, well, _anything_. He couldn't—or _wouldn't_—fathom why he hadn't been so lucky, because, apparently, the alternative was saving towns and talking to angst (_really?_)-filled little brothers and kissing girls he couldn't have.

Having a soul sucks.

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**Okeydokey, I don't normally do this explaining where bits of my stories come from in relation to the show, but I can't not this time.**

**The "**Of course, he didn't realize that a rapid _boom-boom-thump _would _schnick_ the switch the opposite direction. How was he to know that a little resigned defiance and a dash of foolish bravery was gonna turn him on? (In more ways than one.)**" paragraph is referring to the time (I cannot for the life of me remember which episode it's in) when Elena responds to one of Damon's trademark "I could kill you" threats by telling him he'd have killed her already if he wanted her dead. That to me is the moment he gained respect for Elena, and the moment his switch flipped of its own accord. (The _boom-boom-thump _is the scared beat of Elena's heart in the moment before she stands up to him.)**

**Anyway, I say that to ask, does that paragraph make sense in context now? I'd really like to know.**

**Thank you so much for reading. :)**


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